Judy O’Rourke
Innovation dwells in the creation of better or more effective products, technologies, processes, services, or ideas that are accepted by industry, government, and the public. (It differs from invention in that it refers to the use of a new idea or method, whereas invention refers to creating the idea or method from scratch.)
CLPrime’s most popular news items from 2011 tell us our audience is hungry for news in both of these areas. Innovation and invention are necessarily at the forefront of advances in our industry.
It may seem curious that lab tests account for pennies on the dollar of health care expenditures while test results comprise almost three-quarters of patients’ medical records and play a role in more than 70% of clinical decisions. Establishment of accountable care organizations (ACOs) should ideally plumb the depths of laboratorians’ knowledge, expertise, and unique value in the continuum of testing, and expand their visibility and function within the health care system.
As physicians become more aware of the importance of optimal Vitamin D levels in the body, the demand for new products (inventions) that can detect it have motivated companies to expand their testing platforms.
With technological advances in molecular diagnostic testing making it more user-friendly and usable in routine clinical labs, the Clinical and Laboratory Standards Institute recently published a guideline to help more labs harness this game-changing diagnostic capability. Check out our Web-exclusive interview in this issue.
We’ve seen innovation starting to force a paradigm shift with the advancement of and demand for point of care testing (POCT). Increasing demand and opportunities for using POCT have spurred improvements in the technology, increasing acceptance in the United States and globally.
Labs are key role players whose “product” is central to the growing care delivery models taking shape. The paradigms, including meaningful use, ACOs, and LOINC, demand more interoperability and standardized nomenclature. (See the cover article and the EHR feature for more.)
Motivation for innovation and invention can also take a different form, as we’ve seen with companies collaborating or acquiring one another to expand testing product lines and portfolios to answer unmet needs and provide better care for patients.
From advances in POCT to meeting demands of more sophisticated lab tests, the quest for innovation and invention is led by melding ideas and expertise. These developments help to shift paradigms, ultimately resulting in improved health care.
We look forward to bringing it all to you in 2012. (Thus, adfero affero, which means “to report” in Latin.)
Judy O’Rourke
Editor, CLP
, (619) 659-1065
